Spray Painted Bathroom Counter

Hey there, friends! As I mentioned here, I plan to move a few of my more popular posts from Designing Dawn over here to AD Aesthetic as we go along, so that they are easier to reference. This one in particular was on my list because it was the kickoff for my master bathroom (and bedroom) makeover, and I like the idea of having all the steps in the same place as we go along. So here you go! Reposted from DD— how I painted another counter… this time with stone spray paint. That’s right. I spray painted my bathroom counter. Spoiler: I LOVE IT!!!

Today’s post is definitely not going to be a pinterest worthy before/after type of post, but I AM pretty excited about it, nonetheless. Because we’ve FINALLY started on the one room in the house we had not touched since we moved in. (And it was bad.) Our master bathroom makeover has begun.

I’m calling this a makeover and not a renovation, because, as much as I’d love to demo the whole thing and start from scratch… see limited funds comments above. So for now at least, I’ve decided to make this ugly duckling into the best little swan it can be, and that means working with what we’ve got. So let’s get going already! Here’s what the bathroom has looked like for the past SIX years (no I can’t believe it’s been that long… now please prepare your eyes):

I know. Not cute.

I feel slightly defensive about the fact that this room is still in this state, but I will say that we intentionally saved it for last because it is one room that (almost) no one but us ever sees since it’s tucked in the corner of our master bedroom on the second floor of the house. That being said, it is certainly not acceptable and it’s time for a change in the worst way possible. At one point a few years ago, I started painting the vanity the same chocolate-brown as in the guest bathroom, but then changed my mind half way through and never touched it again, so it has looked extra not-awesome for a while now. Don’t be jealous of my sweet bathroom carpet.

The layout of this room is very long and narrow. It makes it hard to capture in photos, but here is a (not to scale) floor-plan I put together to give you a better idea of what we’re working with.

As you might imagine, I’ve been thinking about this bathroom quite a bit over the past 6 years of using it in this state. My grand plan would involve tearing out the wall between the tub and shower and framing out the shower with glass. I think this would give the room a much more open feeling, making it seem twice as spacious and not like the strange tunnel it is now. Currently, the wall separating the shower and tub is hallow, which we know because it contains a sliding pocket door. This is good news because it means tearing out that wall wouldn’t involve moving any pluming.

So that is something we’re still considering and trying to budget for down the road, but in the meantime, I think there are a ton of smaller, and relatively inexpensive, projects that could make the room feel much less 1995, which is the goal. Here are my plans in step-by-step style:

Update dated counter top

Paint vanity

Update vanity hardware

New faucets

Remove wallpaper

New lighting fixtures

New mirrors??

Paint walls

Add storage (there is NONE in here!)

Remove carpet/vinyl and add new tile floors

Add modern tile accents around tub, shower, and vanity

Install new hardware (towel bars, shower curtain, etc.)

Fix shower so it’s usable (I’m going to gloss over this for now, but will explain this completely separate issue some other time.. uhg.)

Final decor touches

Does that sound like a lot? It feels like a lot. But let’s just take it step by step and expect to be redoing this bathroom for the next two-three years, ok? On board? Good.

In this room I actually use the counter a LOT so the first priority is making sure they hold up and look good. I’ve had some slight issues with heat discoloring the light counters in my kitchen, and since the majority of my vanity use includes heat styling tools, I decided to go dark on the counters. My second goal was to make them look as natural as possible, and I really wanted a stone look. I found this awesome stone textured spray paint, (affiliate link) and you guys, it was perfect!!

Step one: Prep

I purchased my supplies and taped off the entire area around the counter, making sure to cover the mirror, sinks, and vanity. I know spray paint can get pretty messy, and did not want to deal with over-spray. I should say that part of my plan to make this room look more modern involved removing the very cheap and fake looking back-splash. I was not thrilled with how it turned out in either the kitchen or the guest bath, so this time I just pried it off with a crow bar before starting. I plan to patch the wall and add decorative tile around there later on, so for now, try to overlook the gross yellow-glue look all around the counter. I promise it will be worth it later on. Oh and ignore that screwdriver on the left faucet too. It’s been leaking and I had to wedge that in there to stop it until we replace the faucets. #glamorous

Step two: Paint

After everything was taped off, I wiped down the counter top to make sure it was clean and ready for paint. I didn’t bother to sand it or anything (#lazy). Then I got to business with the spray paint. It ended up taking me two cans to get full coverage on the counter, but I am so happy with the look. Here is the counter after the paint job.

I’m not sure if you can tell from the photos, but it had a definite rough stone-like texture to it. I’ve actually seen a few tutorials on using this for counters where they just left it at this stage, or maybe added a poly coat and called it good. I think I, personally, would be driven crazy by the texture and inability to just wipe it down easily. I can’t imagine how stuck on toothpaste would ever get completely cleaned off! That being said, if you like the texture and can make it work for you, more power to ya! Stop here and call it a job well done. 😉

Step three: Gloss Coat

I can’t tell you enough how much I love EnviroTex Lite. As I mentioned, I’ve used this stuff three times now and it gives the most AMAZING glossy finish, and really is relatively simple to apply. I bought one 32oz box for this counter and it was plenty. You just mix together the two bottles in the box according to the directions, and pour it on, spreading it all over the counter with a small foam brush. As it dries, you can either use a torch to pop any bubbles that surface (there should be several if you mixed it correctly) or just grab a drinking straw and use it to aim as you blow lightly to pop the bubbles. It’s super easy.

I learned in my guest bath adventures that if you don’t add a coat of poly between the paint and the Envirotex step, your counter will darken quite a bit. In this case, I wanted it to darken up slightly, so I let it do its stuff and turned out just as I had hoped it would.

Step four: Let it dry and enjoy your new counter!

After applying the Envirotex, I just kept an eye on it every few minutes until it was set up (it sets up fairly quickly— about 20 minutes, and is hard within 3 hours, but I’d recommend not using the counter for a few days to let it cure completely). There are usually a few drips down the front, so I just smooth them out with my foam brush as they appear.

Once it was all dry, I scraped off any residue on the sink basin with a razor blade and caulked around both sinks to give a nice clean finish. And finally, here is the finished counter top!

As mentioned, I know the counter by itself, while sitting on a gross half-painted vanity with glue residue around the back-splash, is not the most dramatic or pinterest worthy makeover, but I’m already 80% done painting the vanity and adding new hardware and it looks SO MUCH BETTER. You can almost overlook the floral wallpaper and gross carpet! Ha. I’ll share that paint job with you as soon as it’s done, but for now, the first step in the master bath makeover has been taken! Finally!

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Comments

Found this off Pinterest. I love your countertop. Love it! I want to do this to my ugly countertops in my guest bathroom but I’m so afraid that I will mess it up. Once I figure out what color I want to paint my vanity, I think I’m going to give this DIY a try.

If you want to, you can apply a coat of poly to the painted counter before you add the envirotex resin. I did this when I painted my kitchen, and just applied it with a foam roller. It helps to keep the resin from altering the color of the paint. In this case, I didn’t do that step, because I wanted the resin to darken my paint color a bit, which it did. Hope that clears it up!

Hello! I would love to do this to my bathroom counter, but it has an attached back splash (it’s all one solid piece, not two that have been caulked together). I know the epoxy is intended to be used on a flat surface – do you think this will still work/have any suggestions?

Hi Emily! I actually used it on the back-splash in my kitchen, and it worked ok. It doesn’t have the smoothest surface, a little bit textured, but it doesn’t bother me too much. Here is a post that shows a close up photo of how they look if you want to check it out: http://designingdawn.com/faqs-about-painting-kitchen-counters/ Hope that helps!

which one between kitchen and bathroom do u suggest was better or easier i have the same issue with my counter tops and am wanting to try this technique is spray paint or the technique you used in the kitchen hold up better

I haven’t had the bathroom one nearly as long, but durability-wise, I imagine they will be the same, since the top layer is the same on both. As far as looks and ease, I prefer the spray painted counter. It was quite a bit faster and I think it looks more like stone. It really just depends on the look you want though. Hope that helps! 🙂

I hear that! I want to say the total cost was under $50. The spray paint was about $10 per can and I used two. I got the envirotex for about $20 with a coupon at hobby lobby. Add in a few cheap foam brushes and some plastic tarp to that for right around $50 total.

I have the same kind of sink. I spray painted mine as well but used glossy spray paint as well. Ended up using like 3 cans of it to try and get it smooth. It’s pretty smooth on the surface but not as good in the bowl. Plus I used quite a bit of spray so there are a few drips, crap. But it’s not too terribly noticeable. I closed and taped off my sink plug. I have a pic I can email you, Sara, if you’re interested in seeing it!

Ok, we followed every step buts it’s not doing what yours did. It looks the same but when you get up close. It has what looks like bubbles but it isn’t. It’s where the stone texture has made it look bubbly. Does this mean we didn’t put it on thick enough? Do you think we should let it dry and add another coat? We used a heat gun to get the bubbles out and that worked great. Help! Thanks.

It sounds like it may not be thick enough. The epoxy layer should be fairly thick. I would guess mine to be about 1/8 to 1/4 inch or so. So yes, I would probably try a second coating on your counter. Good luck with your project!

Well i took a leap of faith and have just applied the first coat (can) of stone spray paint…looks a little blotchy here and there hoping that will be rectified with the second can! Now when you applied the varnish coat….how did you do it? Just poured and let it go and do it’s thing? what about in behind the sink..that narrow gap from the wall to the back of the sink…did you pour a wee bit there and use a foam brush to spread it out and then more on the other side? This is the step that scares me the most!!!

Thanks Dawn for giving me hope for my counters. Your bathroom looks like mine. The colors wouldn’t be bad in one place of my house but they used it on all bathrooms, kitchen and all counters threw the whole house! And to top it off they even have the floors all the same with maroon and white blocking. It was built in 99′ but wow did they overkill this house with the pink/maroon color. I can’t wait till It gets warm so I can start updating. Thanks for sharing.

Nope! I just went right to the epoxy finish. I didn’t want to sand off any of the paint and have the counter show through. The envirotex is self leveling and should be put on about an eight to a quarter inch thick so it covers any texture in the paint nicely. 🙂

How did you seal the edge of the counter since the product is self leveling? I want to try this in our kitchen, the backsplash is wood, do you think if I removed it then painted and sealed, I could then reinstall it?

I think that would work, yes. For mine, I just brushed it on thinner on the vertical parts and kept touching it up until it set enough to not drip off. It definitely doesn’t have the same smooth glossy finish as the counter-top though. It dries with more of a pebbled look to it on the vertical areas.

I’ve had it in my kitchen for about 5 years now with no issues. It is used on bar surfaces quite a bit also. I would check the envirotex website to be certain, but if memory serves, I believe the company states that once cured, it is FDA approved as safe for food prep and casual contact surfaces like counters, however should not be used on extended contact surfaces, such as cups or plates.

So I tried it! Looks good except in the center…thought I gave the spray paint enough time to dry buy it wiped some parts off which made sort of like a ripple effect. I tried spray painting over the epoxy and it helped a little…any other suggestions?

Oh no! It’s hard to say without seeing it but you could try sanding it down and doing another layer of spray and then epoxy. I haven’t tried that though, so I can’t say for certain if it would turn out the way you’d like.

I love this idea! Great tutorial! I would like to try this on my kitchen counters, but they have a curved front edge. Do you think this would still work, or would it spill over the edge? Or could I block it somehow? Just trying to think through problems I may have. Thanks!

I would think it would still work, but may be a bit tricky, and you’d have to watch it closely for drips while it sets up. Maybe a line of tape on the underside of the counter edge to catch any drips while it sets? That’s probably what I would try. 🙂

I can tell you without a doubt that it holds up to water very well. My husband is notorious for not cleaning up after himself, and I’ve never had any issues at all. I’ve also done this in my kitchen, and have had a few stains with juice not getting wiped up right away, but have always scrubbed them out with a magic eraser, which seems to work just fine. Hope that helps!

Hey dawn I did a stone texture and used envirotex but had issues thought it was dust…looked like bubbles but wasn’t as they didn’t come out with the torch. Realize now, maybe didn’t pour thick enough? So we started sanding…cause again thought it was dust…now I want to add some glitter…do I need to texture spray all over again or can I mod podge glitter on the sanded envirotex and re-apply the envirotex…or better yet, can I mix the glitter into the envirotex ? So disappointed cause it looked awesome aside from all the bumps
Thanks for your help

I would think you could probably go either way! The envirotex should just cover over whatever you put under it, so I don’t see why you couldn’t modpodge the glitter on first. I’ve never thought about using glitter mixed into the envirotex but that could be cool too, although maybe more likely to leave you with bumps again. Good luck!

I had the exact same problem! What I thought was air bubbles….and i used a blow dryer on low but high heat and what i really did was move the settled “stone” all over the counter which at the time i thought it was air bubbles so it then struck me it was the stone spray settlement….I knew i was going to have to sand it down and start over…..I haven’t done that yet! BUT i will tell you I did add very minimal graphite glitter and LOVE how that turned out!!!! With mine going dark gray with the enviro lite its shiny….but man you have to be careful if you get water on it…it will mark it…..if you go lighter it wouldn’t be a problem!

I’m also going to try this but have the kind of countertop that goes up at the back like a small backsplash….maybe 2-3 inches up. And was wondering how you get the envirotek on that part and also on front edging piece. Do you sponge it on and if it’s self levelling how do you stop if all from running over this edge.

Hi Stephanie! I used a sponge brush to brush it on the vertical edges and just kept touching up any drips until the envirotex set up enough to not drip. It doesn’t come out as smooth as the horizontal surfaces for sure, but it isn’t bothersome to me. I talk about this and show some closer up images in my countertop FAQs post if you want to glance at that. It might help out! Good luck with your project. http://adaesthetic.com/faqs-painting-countertops/

Hi. I am concerned about the popping bubbles. If I can do it with out running what I just did or if I miss one. Also what about applying between paint for a lighter finish? If you could explain so I do it right. Also I was thinking of doing this on a plywood board that we would place as a back splash under kitchencabinets once dry. I wonder how that would work?

Hi there! I think using this on plywood for a backing could work if you are able to attach it to the wall. Maybe liquid nails? I don’t know that applying the epoxy between coats of paint would work. I guess I’m not sure what you mean by that. The epoxy is the final step, as it seals in all the paint for a hard, durable glossy finish on the counters. As for the bubbles, it is hard to mess up the epoxy when it’s still wet, because it self levels. Missing some of the bubbles is possible, but the few that I have missed haven’t bothered me at all. They are very small and difficult to even notice. Hope that helps!

Did you scrape off the caulk around the sinks before you painted?
Or did you just caulk over it once the counter was dry?

Did you use the same poly on your kitchen counter tops? I’d love to redo my kitchen counters and if the poly is food safe then I will def look into it all! I am excited to present these ideas to my husband!!! Thank you for your help 🙂

Hi there! Yep, I scraped off all the caulk beforehand, and then re-caulked around the sinks once it was dry. And yes, I used the same process in my kitchen. I’ve had it in my kitchen for about 5 years now with no issues. It is used on bar surfaces quite a bit also. I would check the envirotex website to be certain, but if memory serves, I believe the company states that once cured, it is FDA approved as safe for food prep and casual contact surfaces like counters, however should not be used on extended contact surfaces, such as cups or plates. Hope that helps! 🙂

If you want to, you can apply the poly after you paint and before the epoxy. I’ve noticed that the epoxy tends to darken the paint quite a bit and that step seals the paint so it stays truer to the original color. I did that on my kitchen counters, but skipped that step on this one because I wanted a darker look. Hope that helps! 🙂

I can’t wait to get started!! I’m starting off in the small bathroom. Lol the Guinea pig room…
Whoever built this place had country blue fever. EVERY counter in the house is Country blue.
Not to mention wall to wall blue carpet throughout the house!!
Floors have been redone already. That was the first project. Now to get rid of the Blue!!
Thanks for the help!

I have my counter all sprayed but seems like it’s taking forever for the spray to dry? I’m scared to put the poly in because I really don’t want to smear what I just did. How long did you wait after spraying to put the poly layer on?

I see you used two can of paint. Did you do two coats of paint (letting it dry between) or just use two cans to cover the whole counter? I am so excited to try this and will be buying everything this weekend! Thank you!

I’ve found that you can really use any color you want. It just depends on the look you’re going for. I prefer to mix in some colors for depth, but if you went all white, that could look cool too. I think the paint you linked too would definitely work. 🙂

Hello Dawn! I’m loving your blog and was wondering….now that it has been about 8 months, would you still say that the spray paint technique is holding up as well as the brush on paint? I’m also wondering about the heat since you had mentioned the discoloration on your kitchen counter….. as well as your plan to use hot items on the bathroom counter. Has there been discoloration even with the darker paint? Any other issues? Allllso ….how thick would you say the enamel is once spread? THANK YOU!!:)

Hey! It has held up great! I’ve been pretty careful to put my curling irons and such in the sink, rather than on the counter, so that hasn’t been an issue. I put the enamel on pretty thick on this one. I would say about 1/4″ or so.

Hi Dawn! Thanks for sharing this awesome idea! I am curious what brand and color you chose for the spray paint. When I click on the link it shows me Rust-oleum, but the picture shows Valspar. I love the dark grey look, so I’m hoping you can tell me exactly what you used. Thanks so much!

Hey there! Thanks so much! I used the Valspar paint, but I couldn’t find a link to it on Amazon, so I linked to a similar color. The one I used was found at Lowes, and I don’t know the name of it, but the photo should hopefully help if you’re looking for the same color. 🙂

I have a few questions, Would it make a difference if i painted outside?, since i’m an asthmatic and can’t handle the smell or fumes. Also my counter top and sink its all one piece, can i painted all the same?, or what can i do?

If you are able to remove your counter and paint it outside, I don’t see how that would make a difference. Just make sure that no debris gets stuck in the paint or resin. 🙂 I wouldn’t advise painting into the sink, as it could get into the drain and cause plumbing issues. If you are removing the counter and sink to paint, you may be able to try painting the sink portion as well. I’ve never tried that, so I’m not sure how it would turn out, but I’d love to see photos if you tackle it!

It looks amazing! This would look perfect in my bathroom, but my sink and counter are all one piece. Do you know of any other topcoat I could use? I know polyurethane will yellow, and I’m just not sure polycrylic is durable enough to be in a sink. Any suggestions?

I have to admit I had a good chuckle and then a sigh of relief because I’m not the only one that believes in spray paint. I bought my house 17 yrs ago and tried all the DIY backslash redos of the time. I didn’t like the results of any technique I tried. I had just textured spray painted a vase and the color matched my new countertops perfectly. So I was ahead of my time and spray painted my kitchen backslash. It is still the same after 16 yrs and I still love it. I can’t tell you how many people laughed when I told them what I done. I still stand behind a good spray paint over brushing if I can. You did a great job and I’m thinking I might try your method on the bathroom counter. Thanks!

I built a little kitchen island
I couldn’t decide what to do about the top counter for it.
It’s made of oak, but I don’t like the butcher block look. Would spray paint and poly even do ok on a top like this ? Or should I just stain it

That looks fabulous! I have messed u cultured marble in my bathroom and the sink is continuous with the countertop, not separate and set in. Do you think it would work on the cultured marble and in the sink??

I’ve had other people ask the same question, but I wouldn’t recommend it in a sink basin. Because it’s self leveling, it will run towards the drain and if it gets into the plumbing and hardens, could cause serious issues.

I spray painted my kitchen countertops 😬! Everything went well until I added the “glaze coat” product I was told by menards is food safe and similar to the product you used. We applied it and when you look at it from above it looks great, nice and shiny but if you look at it from an angle or sideways it is not even, it’s bumpy and looks really bad. We waited 3 days and decided to do another coat to see if we could even it out. Same results😭. Not sure if we are putting it on too thick or what? My question to you now….do I try and sand it and do a polyurethane (easier to manipulate) overtop it to smooth it out? Do I not sand it and just try using polyurethane to smooth it out? Or did I screw it up too much now and have to go buy new countertops $$$$ 😳! Any other words of wisdom or suggestions? We are planning on selling the house and putting it on the market in 3-4 weeks and can’t put it on in its current counterstop state. HELP!!! 😩

Oh no! I really don’t know what the issue could be. I’ve never had that problem with the product I’ve used, and I’ve done it on three different counters. I’m wondering if it didn’t get mixed well enough? Or maybe if it’s just the product itself that isn’t great quality? If it were me, I’d probably try a coat of Envirotex and see if you get better results. Barring that, you could try sanding it down or doing a concrete coat treatment over it instead maybe?? Good luck!!! I hope you find a solution that works for you!

I want to thank you for this post, along with taking the time to answer all of the questions in the comments. I read, them re-read and then again to make sure I had a good understanding of the process. I followed your directions, only I used regular gray spray paint and then the gloss you recommended. I can’t tell you how beautiful it looks! My counter top were an AWFUL beige with specks of brown (think early 70’s) and they are truly gorgeous now! Thank you Thank you Thank you!

My countertop is already glossy. Would this still work? Also, do you have to use stone spray paint? I would like to use a glitter spray paint. It also has a built in sink. From what I read you just have to kinda brush it down. My “Pinterest projects” usually never look like the picture but this would be a pretty expensive mess up lol so I wanna make sure I have all the details.

If it is a glossy surface, I would sand it down first. You can use anything under the resin, it doesn’t have to be stone spray paint. However, I don’t recommend using this product inside a sink basin. It is self leveling and will run towards the drain. It hardens to a solid, so if it gets into the pipes and hardens, it could cause serious plumbing issues.

I’m so glad I read the entire post. I didn’t even think to check hobby lobby for the finish! Thanks for the great tip! I started with a dark green counter top and I’m happy to say that I have a nice stone looking countertop!

For your bathroom counters how do you deal with hair styling tools? I’ve read that you can’t put anything hot on painted counters. So what do you do for your straight iron and curling irons? Thanks for your help!!!!

Hi dawn! We completed this project tonight. However, I accidently smudged the spray paint in a spot but we already had the mixture mixed up so I had no time to paint the small spot and have it dried by the time we had to put the gloss on 🙁 is there a way around this without having to start over ?! Other than that one spot of smudged paint that is killing me, it looks great!

You can consult the envirotex website, but I think it should work on pretty much any surface. I don’t think I would use it inside a sink though. It is self leveling and will run towards the drain. It hardens to a solid, so if it gets into the pipes and hardens, it could cause serious plumbing issues.

I have bathroom counters and sinks that are made from the same material, a slick, shiny, glass, marble looking material. (The sinks are not separate set in fixtures, they are molded as part of the counter. ) Would you advise spraying the counter and sink? Or would thing not work in this case? I’m concerned about the drains.

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